Playing Games
by arianna05
Summary: New town, new faces. What happens when Dom gets the opportunity to take on another heist? And what connections in Boston does Madison have, exactly? First story written years ago. Please bear with me. RR please!
1. A New Face

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from the Fast and the Furious. Dominic Toretto, Sgt. Turner, Brian (Spilner) O'Connor, Vince, Mia, Leon and Letty are not mine. All other characters were created by me.**

She pulled up alongside him in the parking lot and got out of her car. As she got out, he shot a quick look in her direction, but thought nothing of it. Then he saw her car. It was a Honda Civic, something that he would drive.

He walked up to it and noticed that it had recently had a lot of work done on it. Not only had it had an interior body job, but it was obvious that is had also had an exterior body job done, including being repainted.

She stood in the doorway, watching him as he looked over her car. He looked kinda rugged, but no doubt about it, he was attractive. His muscles rippled under his nicely pressed navy shirt and his khaki pants looked great on him. His head was shaved, but that just made him that much more attractive.

"You like?" she asked, breaking into his thoughts.

He nodded his approval and looked up at her. She had on a pair of nice fitting blue jeans, a white baby tee, and a black leather jacket. Her sunglasses were in her hand and he could see her caramel brown eyes that nicely accented her brown hair.

"It's nice," he commented. He didn't want to seem too impressed. It wasn't his style.

"Built it myself," she wasn't trying too hard either. It was as if there were some unspoken rule between the two of them or something.

He stood up and she saw that he was a couple of inches taller than she. She stood five foot six, so he must've been somewhere around six foot two.

"Interesting. Never met a chick that involved in drag racing. Name's Dom," he said, extending his hand, which she shook firmly.

"Madison. Madison Steele. I'm new in town," she commented, as if it made a difference to her.

Before Dom could say anything else, two cars roared around the corner and pulled to a stop in the parking lot. A tall, lanky guy stepped out of the red car and a chick stepped out of the white one.

Madison watched as the two approaches she and Dom. The guy obviously seemed to know Dom, because they shook hands and patted each other on the back. The chick hung back some, keeping her eye on Madison.

"Guys, this is Madison. Madison, meet Christian and Kyra. Christian and I have been friends since fifth grade. Kyra just started hanging out with us about two years ago.

Christian looked at Madison and took her in. No doubt in his mind, the girl was cute. She had all the right moves except for one. Any chick that he was interested in had to drag race. That was a definite qualification that she had to have.

Christian had been so busy looking at Madison that he didn't see the car they were standing by. It was a nicely remade version of a 2001 Honda Civic. The interior had been redone as well as a body kit put on. He was impressed.

"New ride, Dom?" Christian asked. Kyra's eyes had never moved from Madison's face until now.

Kyra looked at the car and liked it immediately. Maybe Dom had gotten it for her. He was always saying that she needed to race more.

Before Dom could respond, Madison jumped in.

"No, actually it's mine. I have this thing for cars that's been instilled in me since I was little," Madison commented.

"This…is yours?" Kyra asked.

Christian's mind was still reeling. He had finally found a chick that seemed to fill all of his qualifications. But he wasn't sure if she was interested in him.

"Yeah," Madison began to explain. "I've been racing for about six years now. It's become an important part of my life now. It helps make me who I am."

Dom was impressed. Kyra had only been racing about a year. Madison was not only fine, but had also been drag racing for six years. Any chick who can hold her own with the big boys for six years and not give up deserved to be acknowledged.

"Nice. So, how well do you drive?" Dom asked.

Madison smiled. She was waiting for her moment. Here was her chance.

"Well. I would say that I can handle my speed."

Dom smiled. She wasn't overly confident. That was a good thing in a drag racer, especially in a chick. It meant that she knew how to handle her own.

"You lookin' for some competition?" Dom questioned.

"You lookin' to race?" Madison countered.

Kyra and Christian looked on in disbelief. No one openly accepted a challenge from Dominic Toretto.

"What you got to give?" Dom asked.

"You name the price," Madison answered.

Dom thought for a moment. It was quite an interesting position that he was in. She was letting him name the price. She had a lot to lay on the line.

"I'll tell you what," Dom began, "we'll see how the race goes and the winner names the price. That way, no one throws the race."

"Oh, so you're saying that I'd let you win? Well, Dom, if you believe that I'm like that, then you've got another thing coming."

Christian knew that Dom would be stupid not to accept this challenge by Madison, who was, according to him, fine. Dom knew it too, Christian could tell.

"So, we have a deal?" Dom was getting impatient.

"Yeah, we've got a deal," Madison agreed.

"Alright then. Let's go," Dom said.

He headed for his car and she walked over to hers. Before Madison could get into her car, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around to see that it was Christian.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"Just wanted to say good luck. Dom's a tough one to beat. But if you can, my hat's off to ya," Christian commented.

"Thanks."

In the back, Madison could see Kyra, who was still in awe that the car was hers.

Dom pulled his car up next to her, rolled down the window and said,

"Follow me."


	2. The Race

Not quite sure where she was going, she trusted him and followed him to a dirt track. Christian and Kyra followed after a few moments.

They got to the track and lined up their cars. Christian stood between them and raised his hands, signaling for them to get ready.

Madison looked at Dom, who was looking at her. She knew she needed to prove something and it was either now or never.

Christian's hands went down and there was the sound of squealing tires that could be heard for miles.

Madison and Dom left Christian in the dust and took off. Dom's car took off at a speed that was unbelievable. Madison was right behind him. Christian couldn't see what was going on, nor was he sure he wanted to.

Up ahead, Dom was watching as his speedometer kept climbing to 120, past 140 and up to 160. He loved every second of it. Racing was his life. And he wasn't about to let Madison win this race, even if he did want her. He was a professional and that was all that mattered to him.

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Meanwhile, Madison was in her car, watching as her speedometer crept past 140 and was amazed that she had not yet caught up to Dom. The boy was fast and he was damn good at it. She had never hit speeds like this and was worried that she would be unable to even touch him.

As she was thinking this, her speedometer kept creeping up until **it **passed the 160 mark. By this time, she was starting to gain on Dom, but was still quite some way behind him. She quickly started closing the gap between the two of them. Soon enough, she was right on his tail. The nose of her car started to crawl up on the body of his car and soon their cars were nose to nose. She looked at her speedometer and realized that it now read 180. she was amazed that she was handling this type of speed.

They made the final turn and Dom pulled away. She struggled to keep up with him, but knew it was no use once she saw Christian's car at the end of the line. She had lost the race.

They pulled their cars to a stop and got out. Christian stared in awe at how well Madison had handled her speed. Dom was impressed too, but he didn't show it.

Dom walked over to Madison and grabbed her arm. Not sure why he did, she turned around to face him and could smell the Jovan musk that he was wearing.

"Need something?" Madison asked curiously. No matter how much she tried to fight it, there was no denying that she was attracted to Dom.

"Yeah," he dropped her arm and looked straight at her. "My prize."

Now confused, she realized that she must've had a blank look on her face from what Dom said next.

"Yeah, you know, my prize. I've figured out what I want," his face held a serious expression the whole time.

She walked away, smiling. Madison kept walking until she reached Kyra and Christian and rejoined them. She smiled at Christian, who laughed inwardly. He could tell Dom was attracted to Madison and whatever Dom wanted, he got.

A few moments later, Dom joined the three of them. He first glanced at Madison, who was talking to Christian, then looked at Kyra.

Dom could tell Kyra didn't like Madison from the look on her face. He couldn't help the fact that he was attracted to Madison. The girl could race. Anyone who could even keep up with him, and not have a big head after, deserved his respect, according to him.

"So, what are you two talking about?" Dom questioned, interrupting Christian and Madison's conversation.

"I was telling Christian how I learned to race. You know, just rookie stuff," Madison answered.

"Really. Tell me, where **did** you learn to race," Dom was curious as to the answer.

"Well, growing up with two brothers, a dad, an no mother—she died shortly after I was born—I was kinda surrounded by guys. I guess I just fell into the phase and never grew out of it," Madison began.

Dom was curious as to why she would say these things that weren't even a part of who she was.

"So, you still never told us where you learned to race," Dom commented. Christian waited to see what Madison's reaction was going to be.

"A mutual friend, actually. Told me if I were ever to come to town that I should look up Dominic Toretto. I guess I just got lucky that he was the first one I ran into," Madison answered.

"Who's this guy anyway?" Someone telling Madison to look him up was someone whom he wanted to know about.

"Name's Brian Spilner. Said he was a good friend of yours."


	3. Truth Be Told

Chapter Three 

Dom's face turned cold. Brian Spilner was a name that he couldn't care less if he never heard again. There was a story behind Dom and Brian, Christian knew that much, but he didn't know the whole story.

Dom turned away from the three of them and Madison looked at Christian for some sort of explanation, but he just shrugged his shoulders.

Madison went after Dom who had walked away from the group to talk to him. She grabbed his arm, but he shrugged her off. She wasn't going to let him just ignore her. She grabbed his arm and wouldn't let go. When he turned to face her, she could see fire in his eyes.

"What's your connection to Spilner, or should I say, **O'Connor**?" Madison could tell that Dom was seriously pissed.

"I told you—wait a second, what? He's just a friend. He told me to look you up if I ever came to town. Why?" Madison was confused as to why Dom was acting like this. He and Brian were supposed to have been friends.

Dom took a deep breath before he began.

"Brian Spil—**O'Connor** was an undercover cop that was sent to take me down. There were some things that I was involved in years ago, some eighteen-wheeler hijackings that I was responsible for and he got involved," Dom paused before continuing.

"He also got too close to my little sister, Mia. When I found out he was a cop, I wanted to kill him. He got me to trust him and let him in my inner circle, and then he betrayed me. And he hurt Mia. I can forgive him for betraying me, but I will never forgive him for what he did to Mia. Never. And that's the story."

Madison's mind was reeling from what Dom had just told her. She had no clue that Dom felt the way towards Brian that he did. This was definitely one of those moments when she wanted to strangle him herself.

She got up and walked away from Dom. He stared after her, wondering what she was thinking. It wasn't everyday that he had a very attractive girl in his way and he wasn't about to let Madison walk out of his life.

He got up and walked after her. He could tell she was pissed as well and grabbed her arm when he caught up with her. She spun around on her heels and glared at him.

"What were you expecting, Dom? Huh? Did you think that you would just tell me about Brian and things would be okay? You don't get to make that judgment call. That's not your place."

"So, what? You just want me to let you get hurt like he hurt Mia? Is that what you want? I'm sorry for trying to protect you from this asshole."

Madison laughed.

"That asshole happened to have saved my ass quite a few times. And you were trying to protect me?" she laughed again.

"Dom, I don't need your protection. If you haven't noticed, I can take care of myself."

With that, Madison walked over to her car, got in and drove off. Dom stared after her for a few moments before getting in his car and driving after her.

Madison was hitting top speeds down the streets of Boston. She didn't care where she was going, she didn't have anywhere in particular that she wanted to be, she just wanted to drive.

Behind her, Dom was catching up to her. She looked in her rearview mirror and she that he was behind her. She shook her head and pushed harder on the gas.

Up ahead, she saw an alleyway that she could pull into. As she pulled up on it, she made it seem as if she were going to keep straight, turning into the alley at the last minute. She didn't realize until she turned into it that it was a dead-end alley and saw that she was trapped.

Sure enough, a few moments later, Dom's car turned into that alleyway. He stopped his car, got out, and headed for hers.

She sat in her car for a few moments before getting out. She was already pissed at Dom, but to have to confront him again, it was not going to be pretty on her part.

He walked up to her and she sized him up. Not a word was said between the two of them for quite some time. Dom was unsure what to say to Madison and she wasn't sure whether or not she wanted to talk to him.

Dom took a deep breath and was about to speak when Madison had her say.

"I thought I told you I didn't want to talk to you. Yet, here you are," she turned around and began to walk to the back of her car.

"Just thought I'd try to straighten things up between us," Dom explained.

Madison smiled to herself. That wasn't why he was here and they both knew it. She wasn't quite sure why he had followed her, but right now she was too pissed at him to be curious.

"You thought you'd try to straighten things up," she paused and looked at Dom. "What do you think I am, stupid? We both know that's not why you're here. So, wanna try again? And Dom, this time, tell the truth."

Madison was starting to piss Dom off.

"You know what, Madison? Screw you. Be a bitch about things. Why the hell do I care. And by the way, have a nice life."

With that, Dom turned around, got back in his car, and left her standing in the alleyway, staring after him. She leaned up against her car, slid down to the asphalt, put her head between her hands, and sat there.

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Dom pulled into the parking lot of the shop and got out of his car. He could see Christian and Kyra bent over Christian's car. He had been having some engine problems lately, nothing too serious, but it needed to be fixed.

Christian and Kyra both watched as Dom walked into the shop and headed for his "office". Before he entered, Christian called out to him.

"Where's Madison?" Dom raised his hand as a sign of ignoring him, walked into his office and slammed the door. Christian started to go after him, but Kyra grabbed his arm. Christian looked at her with a confused look on his face and she shook her head. She knew when Dom needed time alone. This was one of those times.

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Twenty minutes later, Madison got up off the asphalt, got into her car and drove off. Again she wasn't sure where she was going, but as long as it didn't have to do with Dom, she didn't care.

After driving about ten minutes, she spotted a car that looked somewhat familiar to her. She looked around to see if she could find a possible owner and then she saw him. Brian Spilner. Correction, she thought, Brian **O'Connor**.


	4. The Meeting

**Chapter Four**

She squealed her tires before pulling to a stop in front in him. He glanced at the car and watched as she emerged.

Madison Steele. The one that got away. Brian had to smile to himself. It wasn't everyday that someone as fine as Madison walked into his life. Of course, things hadn't worked out between them like he had wanted them to.

He looked at her now, with her straight chestnut brown hair laying halfway down her back and her hourglass-shaped body looking as gorgeous as he remembered.

She looked him over and shook her head. He hadn't changed one bit. He was still as cocky as she remembered. She had to laugh to herself.

He was wearing a red shirt that brought out his blonde hair and nice build. No doubt about it, he was attractive. But he was an ass. And always would be. There was no one that could change that fact about him. His khaki pants hung loosely around his hips and she knew he was wearing boxers underneath, she could see the band.

She closed the driver's side door and looked in his direction. She was already pissed at him for not telling her the truth about everything in his past, but she was more pissed that he would show up in town.

"Long time, no see, Madison. How are you?" Brian was trying to make small talk.

Madison walked up to him, nodded her greeting, then punched him in the jaw. He reeled from the impact, then, after regaining his composure, lunged after her.

He knocked her to the ground and pinned her arms to the asphalt.

"Is that any way to greet an old friend?"

"No, that's just the way I greet a cop that's lied to me the whole time I've known him. When were you going to tell me, Brian?"

"I was…" he began.

"When? When you arrested me? What the hell did you expect, that I'd just forgive you? And you have some nerve, coming here. What the hell were you thinking?"

He backed up off her, allowing her to stand up. When she did, he noticed that her elbow was bleeding. But she didn't seem to feel the pain. It was like she was immune.

Brian ran his hand through his wavy blonde hair and turned away. So, she had talked to Toretto. And he had told her the truth about Brian. Now Madison hated him. Damnit, why did he always have to go and screw things up.

Madison, feeling the sting of the wind against her elbow, looked at it and saw that it was bleeding.

"Shit," she cursed.

Brian turned back to her and took a step towards her. She raised her hand and walked away. He headed after her.

She got in her car and was about to close the door when Brian grabbed it and kept her from doing so. She flashed him a look of pure hatred.

"Let me help," he offered.

"Go to hell," Madison replied and slammed the door. He stared after her as she started the engine, spun the wheels, and flew off.

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Back at her apartment, she got the rubbing alcohol, some gauze, medical tape, and a glass of water and began to clean her wound.

Spilner—no, **O'Connor**—she reminded herself, was such an ass. He led her to believe that he was some wonderful guy, then turned out to be the last person that she needed to be hanging around. If things were going to go the way she had planned them, Brian was the last person she wanted to be involved with.

Her cell rang and she looked at the caller ID. It was Jacob, her brother.

"Yeah," she answered, sounding pissed.

"Well, hello to you too, sis. Bad day?" Jacob had a light tone in his voice and Madison could tell he was happy. She was glad. It was nice to know that Savannah was taking care of him.

"What's up," she said, avoiding his question.

"Just callin' to see how my wonderful sister is doing since she left home five weeks ago. Glad to hear you're alive. Would've been nice if you had called."

"Damn. Sorry, Jake, I forgot. I got settled in and everything's going smoothly. Except for one thing…Brian's here. And he knows I'm here," she had finished cleaning the wound and was bandaging it up. She winced at the pain.

Jacob heard her grimace.

"What happened? I swear, if Spilner laid a hand on you, Maddie…" Madison cut him off.

"No, just some problems with my elbow. Scraped it up cleaning the engine," she could tell that Jacob didn't believe her by his silence.

"Jake, don't," she continued. "I can take care of this. You can't keep fighting my battles for me. It's my fight. I promise, everything's under control. I met up with Dom and he knows I know Brian. Therefore, since he's back in town, there's some old shit that Dom has to deal with from before. And if he sees Brian, I won't have to worry about kicking his ass personally, Dom'll do it for me."

Jacob took a deep breath before responding.

"Just be careful, okay? And straighten things out with Dom. You need him on your side for this, sis, trust me. Plus, he's dealt with Spilner before, so he knows what shit to expect from the prick."

Madison smiled. She knew Jacob hated Brian, she just wasn't exactly sure why. It didn't matter. All that mattered was that the shit she was here to so went down as planned and Brian didn't get in the middle. Otherwise, everything would be fucked up.

"Aight. Give me a ring later. I'm going to bed," Madison replied.

"Call me Friday. I'll be expecting you. And if you don't call, I'm gonna be pissed."

There was a long pause as Jacob waited for Madison to say something.

"Okay," she agreed. "G'night."

"Night," Jacob repeated, then hung up.

Madison threw the cell down on the couch, headed for the bathroom and turned on the water. She was going to take a nice long shower and then go to bed.


	5. Back Home

**Chapter Five**

Dom sat under the stars, being pissed at Madison. Why was it that all the hot chicks were such bitches? And why did he have to be so attracted to her. Damnit. He had a perfectly fine chick waiting for her chance, but he would never look at Kyra like that. She was one of the guys.

Of course, there had been Letty. Damn, Letty. Dom's first love. She had grown up with Dom, Mia, his best friend, Vince, Leon and Jesse. God, Jesse.

Remembering was a bitch. All that shit that had gone down two years ago with O'Connor. That asshole. Things were supposed to have been different. Jesse was supposed to be here with them, not dead. But he had lost his head and it had gotten him killed. And Letty. She had taken off. She had finally had enough of Dom's shit and had taken off with Vince and Leon after Los Angeles.

And then there was Madison. Damn, the girl was pulling him back there. To those days. There was something about her that reminded him of himself. That passion she had, then need to be in control. It was all so familiar to him.

He heard the screen door open and turned his head to see Christian emerge. He had two beers in his hands and offered one to Dom, who accepted.

"You thinkin' about her, huh?" Christian really didn't have to ask, he knew.

"Damn, is it that obvious?"

"No, I just know you really well, remember? We've known each other for years. I can tell what you're thinking."

Dom paused, then smiled to himself. Damn, the innocence that Christian had. He hoped the boy never lost it.

Kyra emerged from the house now, phone in hand. She handed it to Dom, who gave her an inquisitive look, to which she shrugged her shoulders.

"Yeah," he answered. It was Mia.

Dom got out of the chair he was sitting in, walked down the stairs of the porch and over to his car.

"What's up?" Mia rarely called him anymore. She had gotten tired of his shit too. She was in college now, living her own life and enjoying every minute of it. He could tell, her voice was lighter.

"Dom, I need to talk to you. I don't know, I just have this feeling, you know? Like something bad is going to happen. It's been going on for two weeks."

Mia was convinced that she was having some sort of premonitions about Dom and was constantly worrying about him. No matter how hard he tried, he could never convince her that nothing was going to happen.

"Mia, I've told you many times before, everything's fine. Don't worry your pretty little head about me. Just keep your mind on school."

"But, Dom…" he wouldn't stand for it. She knew it was pointless to argue with him, so she gave it up.

"So, how are you?"

"Fine," he responded. She was making small talk. It was okay, he would let her. They never saw each other anymore. It was better that way, Dom told himself, that way Mia wouldn't be able to get hurt.

"You're not in the conversation mood. Christian there?" Mia had been asking about Christian a lot lately. Dom would have to talk to him about that and figure out what was going on between them.

"Yeah. You wanna talk to him?"

"Sure," her voice perked up and he knew something was going on. But right now he was too tired to fight with her about it. He would wait for another night, when he was drunk.

"Yo, Chris…come here…Mia wants to talk," Dom waited as Christian walked over to him and took the phone. He took a long swig of his beer and headed back to his chair on the porch and sat down.

Kyra joined him and sat in Christian's chair.

"How is she?"

Kyra and Mia had become good friends since after the shit had gone down two years ago.

"Aw, you know, the same shit she's been pulling for the past three months, the worrying for nothing, shit like that."

Kyra smiled. Dom wasn't drunk, nor was he likely to get drunk tonight, but he was still interesting to hold conversation with. She looked down the stairs at Dom's car where Christian was emerging from and began walking back to the porch.

"So, man, tell me, what's your secret?" Dom asked as Christian handed the phone back to Kyra who went inside to hook it back up.

"What are you talkin' about, Dom?"

"C'mon man, what's the deal with you and Mia?"

"It's nothing, Dom. Promise. She just wants companionship, that's all. It's not like I'm gonna fuck around with her or anything like that."

Dom smiled. Christian was a smart guy. He knew when not to mess with Dom and how not to screw with him.

"Aight, man, just checking. She seemed pretty excited to talk to you, that's all."

Kyra rejoined them and this time she had a beer in hand herself. Dom was surprised. Kyra rarely drank.

"Special occasion?" he joked. Kyra flipped him off. He smiled at her, knowing she was joking.

"You know, Dom," Christian began, jokingly. "One day Kyra's actually gonna do that and mean it."

There was a long pause and no one said a thing. Christian knew Dom wasn't pissed, but he was curious as to why the silence.

Dom's mind was elsewhere. He wondered what Madison was doing. Damn, he couldn't get the girl off of his mind. This was bad.


	6. A New Dawn

**Chapter Six**

Brian woke up to the sound of his cell phone ringing. He groggily reached over to his bedside table, where his cell was.

"Yeah," he answered, halfway asleep.

"Morning, Sunshine," a male's voice replied.

It was his boss. Today was not a good day to hear his voice and it was not the right time.

"What's up," he tried to keep the frustration out of his voice.

"How are things going in Boston?" They knew that Madison was in Boston and it was all a plot to take down Jacob Steele and his group.

Brian hated this assignment. He knew that if Madison found out he was here after her, she would likely try to kill him. Things were so fucked up in this situation. He wished he could change it.

"Things are okay," he said vaguely.

"Seen Steele?" There was that stinging question. It was definitely too early to ask.

"Yeah, I've run into her."

"Any progress?"

"None yet," Brian was starting to get pissed. "Is there a point to this conversation? Because if not, I need to fully wake up and get on with my day."

Brian's boss was silent for a moment. He knew he had said the wrong thing from what his boss said next.

"Don't let her destroy this mission. Keep a level head, O'Connor."

With that, the phone line went dead. Brian was pissed. Now his day had been ruined.

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Across town, Dom had now awoken with a slight headache. He wasn't sure why, he hadn't drank much last night.

He rolled over to see Kyra next to him. Shit, he thought, hoping nothing had happened. What the hell had he done.

She seemed to sense that he was awake, because when he stirred, she woke. He looked at her with an inquisitive look and, knowing exactly what he was thinking, she shook her head.

He breathed a deep sigh of relief. This was the last thing he had needed. He had fucked up enough lives in the past, he didn't need to bring Kyra into his shit.

As if she knew he was still thinking about it, she made the comment.

"Nothing happened, Dom. I just couldn't sleep by myself. So I came in here. Didn't think you would mind," she sounded apologetic.

"Sorry," he turned to her. He didn't want her to feel bad. "I just didn't want you to get dragged into the shit that my life is. It wouldn't be fair to you."

Kyra had to smile to herself. Dom was constantly thinking of others. She grabbed his arm, and he turned around to look at her. She had pain in her eyes and at the moment he could see how much she cared about him.

"Dom, screw it. I'm here on my own accord. You're not forcing me to be here and I know that if I wanted to, you would let me walk out right now without thinking twice. Don't ever be sorry."

Dom loved Kyra like a sister. She would always stand by him, no matter what, he knew that for a fact. He didn't have to hold anything back from her and knew that she would know if he ever did.

He got out of bed, walked to the shower, turned on the water, and stepped in. This was going to be his day.

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Madison hadn't slept well all night. She kept thinking about Jacob. Something in the back of her mind was telling her that her intuition was right. Some shit was going to go down and it was going to be today. She didn't know when it was going to go down, but she wasn't really sure that she wanted to know.

Her cell rang and she looked at the caller ID. It was Marcus. Her face lit up. This must be good news. Marcus was Jacob's partner and one of Madison's closest contacts into the group.

"Hey, girl, what's goin' on?"

Madison laughed. Marcus always knew how to brighten her day.

"Not much, handsome. What's up wit you?"

"Running the games, that's all. Run into Spilner yet?"

She cringed at the mention of the name. She was trying to forget their meeting last night.

Marcus took her pause as an answer.

"What happened?" It was uncommon for Madison to be silent.

"Nothing," she answered, almost too quickly.

"C'mon Maddie…you can tell me. What's going on?"

"He's just a prick, that's all. A prick who just happens to be a cop."

"What?" It was obvious that Marcus didn't know. She could hear extreme shock in his voice as he responded. "Shit."

"Yeah," she agreed. "Found out myself from Toretto. He thinks I know Brian. I…kinda started some shit with him last night."

"Damn, Maddie. We need Toretto on our side. He's the key. Without him, this operation won't go down. Especially if Santiago finds out."

Marcus was referring to Jose´ Santiago, Jacob's arch enemy. That had had an ongoing battle over territory for five years. Madison had gotten involved six months ago when Jose´ had taken her hostage to get something from Jacob. In the battle, Jose's younger brother, Carlos, had gotten killed. Jose´ never forgave Madison or Jacob for that.

"Don't worry. I'll straighten everything out with Dom."

"Aight."

She hung up the phone, walked into the kitchen and began to fix some breakfast.


	7. The Encounter

**Chapter Seven**

Christian and Kyra were already at the shop by the time Don got there. Kyra watched as he went to his office, opened the mini fridge, grabbed a drink, and shut the door. Then he walked out to join Christian under the hood of the car.

"Rough night?" Christian asked.

"Naw, man. It's just too early. Couldn't sleep."

Christian smiled. Madison had been on Dom's mind the whole night. It was time he stepped in and said something.

He pulled Dom off to the side and talked to him.

"Thinking about her all night?"

Dom shook his head. Christian could always tell when Dom was thinking without even having to ask. Sometimes he hated it. This was one of those times.

"Look man," Christian continued. "I know you don't want to admit it, but it's the truth. You like the girl and she's pressed all your buttons. So, the question is, what are you gonna do about it?"

"Not much I can do. Just forget about it. I'll never see her again."

Dom didn't want to think about Madison. It was bed enough he couldn't sleep at night, he didn't need to hear her name while he was awake.

"Maybe, maybe not."

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It was just another day for O'Connor. He got out of bed after getting off the phone with his boss, unable to go back to sleep.

After taking a shower, he had fixed himself some eggs and bacon, then went into the garage to fix up his car. He knew there was a race tonight and he was hoping Toretto would be there.

He knew that Dom was in town, but the others didn't. he wanted to keep it that way.

He turned the key in the ignition and took off. His top speed had been just under fifteen seconds for a quarter-mile. He needed to get better.

He knew that Dom would have a ten-second or less car and wanted to get his time down. It wasn't the car that was fucking up, it was his driving. He hadn't driven much since the shit that had happened between he and Dom two years ago.

He went down to an abandoned dead-end street, revved his engine, and took off. He didn't use the NOS he had in his engine; he was saving **that** for tonight.

He thought of nothing else except for what Dom had taught him as he was driving down the dead-end road. Looking back on it, he wished the shit that went down had gone down differently. Maybe he would still be in good standing with Dom. Then again, maybe not. After all, he had lied to Dom about being a cop.

He still remembered that life-or-death moment that he had lied to Dom about being undercover. His life had been in Vince's hands, and had Dom given the order, Vince would've killed him then and there. After all, Vince had wanted to kill him immediately. Dom was the only one stopping him.

He also wished things between he and Mia had gone differently. He truly had cared about her. And she had ended up being hurt in the end. Shit should've happened differently, and there wasn't a day that he didn't wish it had.

He got to the dead-end, spun the wheel and headed back out. Twelve seconds. He had to get down another two. He looked at the time. Shit. He was late for a meeting. Fuck.

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Madison's day was uneventful. She waited for the night, knowing there would be a street race, but unaware as to where it would be. That was okay, she would find it eventually.

She threw her hair up, grabbed her sunglasses and keys, and headed out the door.

No destination in mind, she drove. It was great, not knowing where one was going. She decided that she should take these drives everyday. It helped her clear her mind and get focused.

She screamed past Dom's shop, unaware it was his and didn't even look at it. She did, however, notice some racecars outside and made a mental note to herself to stop by there sometime soon.

She turned the corner and saw them. Santiago and his crew. Sitting at a table, eating Italian food even though they were Hispanic. For a moment, she wanted to pull up to the restaurant and kill them all. Then, thinking better of it, decided not to. Instead, she continued driving.


	8. Race Night

**Chapter Eight**

He was remembering again.

Brian. Leon. Mia. Letty.

Jesse. God, Jesse. Jesse, who was like a little brother to Dom. The same Jesse whom he had held in his arms and watched die.

Vince. Vince, who was Dom's best friend in the entire world. Vince, who had ended up in the hospital because of him.

Sometimes he wanted to shoot himself for all the shit that had torn the original group up. But most of all, he wanted to shoot himself for putting Letty through all the shit he had put her through. She has risked her life for him and what had happened to her. She almost got killed. Damn, life was a bitch.

And then there was Madison. God, she was fine, but he had had his shot and fucked it up. Just like he fucked everything else up. He was the expert at fucking things up. It was like it was his specialty.

However, there was a lot about Madison that reminded him of himself. That same fire that was in her eyes whenever she got pissed. That same fire that he knew so well.

He wished that she wasn't so strong willed. There was a lot he could teach her. She had the potential, if she'd just apply herself. She had the level head and self control, she just had to learn to listen. That was another thing. She was stubborn like he was too.

"You okay, man?" Christian's voice broke into his thoughts.

He nodded, but remained silent.

"You thinkin' about Jesse?"

"Yeah," Dom replied.

"It's tough, man. I know. I'm reminded of when I lost Jenna."

Jenna had been Christian's girlfriend. Correction. Jenna had been the love of Christian's life. Just like Letty had been his. Jenna had gotten in Tran's way years ago and had died because of it. Christian had never forgiven Tran for it, nor did Dom think he would.

"Yeah," Dom agreed, halfway hearing the conversation.

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Madison had gone back to the apartment feeling much better. Her mind was more clear and focused on the task at hand, finishing in under ten seconds. She knew she was capable of it, she just had to focus all of her energy into it.

It was now eight o'clock. She figured she should call Marcus again.

She thumbed through the numbers already programmed in the phone until she found his and pressed the "send" button. It rang.

"Yeah," she heard him answer.

"Hey," she said lightly.

"Things better today?"  
She smiled.

"Yeah," she laughed.

"Good," it was always great to hear Madison when she was feeling good. He hated hearing her be down.

"Saw Santiago today," she commented.

"Shit. You didn't do anything stupid, did you, Maddie?"

"No, Marcus, I was a good girl," she replied, sarcastically. "I wanted to rip his throat out, though, but I refrained myself."

He couldn't keep from laughing. That was one thing about Madison he loved, her sense of humor.

"Thank you," Marcus said.

"Yeah, no problem. Next time, though, you might not be so lucky. And neither will he. God, the sight of him, Marcus…" her voice trailed off.

He knew what she meant. It wasn't everyday that you had to face the guy that had kidnapped you over some beef he had with your brother.

"Just don't start any shit. Jacob and I are here and you're there. Although I know you can take care of yourself, you're only one person, while Santiago has his whole posse there."

Even though she wanted to ignore him, Madison knew Marcus was right. Starting shit with José would be a stupid move.

"So, how are you and Samantha?"

Samantha and Marcus had been together for about ten months now. Samantha made Marcus happy and that was what mattered to Madison. Marcus was like another brother to her and she only wanted the best for him.

"Good. Have you spoken to Dom again?" Marcus quickly changed the subject. Madison was curious, but would save that conversation for another time. Someone must've walked in the room where Marcus was.

"Naw, haven't run into him again. Probably will tonight, though."

"How come?"

"Races. There's one tonight and I plan on proving myself to this crowd."

Marcus took a deep breath and sighed. He knew it was pointless to argue with Madison, but wished she wouldn't risk her life anyway.

"Just be careful."

Madison smiled always taking control and being the "brotherly" figure when she didn't want to talk to Jacob. Plus, she knew Marcus would let her do more than Jacob anyday.

"I will, I promise. Talk to ya later?" She asked, even though she knew she would.

"Yeah. Thursday."

"I'll be expecting you."

"I'll be expecting good news."

With that, she and Marcus hung up the phone.

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Brian had take another shower before getting in his car and driving to the racing point. He was trying to figure out how to enter the race against Dom without him knowing. He didn't want shit to go down before the race, but knew there was no getting out of the shit that was eventually going to happen after the race.

In the back of his mind, he wondered if Madison was going to show up. He hoped she would. There was a lot of shit between them that needed to be straightened out. Hell, there was a lot of shit in his entire life that he wanted to straighten out. He could only do a few things at once, though, regretfully.

As he pulled up, he saw the cars lined up down the street as far as the eye could see.

He saw Dom standing off to the side with another guy and a chick. She was cute, but she was definitely no Madison.

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She pulled up and was amazed at how many people showed up at these races.

She emerged from the car and saw Dom first. He glanced in her direction and stared.


	9. Hidden Allies?

**Chapter Nine**

She was wearing black leather pants, a baby blue crop top, and her black leather jacket. Her signature sunglasses were in her hand again, and she looked absolutely beautiful. Her hair was pulled up now, but she was still fine.

He watched as she walked up to the bookie and gave him her entrance fee. Two grand, in bills. The girl had money. She was up to something, he could tell. She wasn't "just in town". There was a reason to her being here. If he got lucky, she might let him in. he could always use the extra cash.

She walked up to the bookie, who had seen her pull up. She paused before him, taking in his facial expression.

"What's the entry fee, two grand?" she asked, pulling out the bills.

He stared for a moment. She obviously was big headed about this shit. He smiled to himself and took her money.

"You wanna roll with the big boys, huh? Well, hat to break it to ya, but you're in for a major ass kickin'."

She let him take her money, then went to turn away. As she did, she thought better of it and turned back to him.

"I'll tell you what," Madison began, "whether I win or lose, you and your slow ass car can meet me out on the street after and I'll show you an ass-kicking."

With that, she walked back to her car and waited. Jarod stared after her in amazement. Whoever she was, she wasn't afraid of anyone.

However, he knew she would lose this race. Toretto had already entered and everyone knew Dom ran these races.

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Dom watched as Madison challenged Jarod. She had some guts. She had accepted a challenge from Dom and was not challenging Jarod. The boy was good, but he was no match for Madison. She would whoop his ass with no effort at all.

Cameron broke into his thoughts. The guy was a prick and Dom wasn't in the mood to deal with his shit right now.

"Nice to see you could make it, Toretto," Cameron said, snidely.

"Go to hell, Maurice."

"Ouch. Sorry to say, but I'm gonna kick your ass tonight."

Christian heard Cameron's comment and turned around. He knew Dom didn't need to be dealing with Cameron's shit and was ready to step up and get rid of him. Dom, however, had a different idea. He held Christian back and chose to let this one go. Cameron was not worth his time. He turned his back to Cameron, who got pissed.

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Madison watched as some guy she didn't know grabbed Dom by the shoulder. In one swift move, Dom turned around, punched the guy in the stomach and the jaw and laid him flat on the ground. The guy, deserving what he got, lay in the fetal position, holding his stomach.

She rushed over to him and glared at Dom. He shook his head at her, but she refused to listen. There was a guy lying on the ground and Dom had put him there.

"Leave the prick there," Dom commented.

Madison was getting more and more pissed at Dom by the moment. She stood up and bitched at him.

"What the hell did you do to him?"

"You don't know shit about this prick, Madison. Leave him the fuck alone. There's shit between the two of us that you don't know about."  
"That doesn't give you the right to kick his ass. God, Dom, what the fuck is wrong with you? Do you treat everyone like this?"

"Madison," Christian began. "Trust me on this. Stay out of it. Dom has his reasons."

"Yeah, like being a complete asshole? I don't get you," she turned back to Dom. "You're just one complete asshole."

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Brian watched as she bitched at Dom. He was amazed that she would take him on. Madison showed no fear. It was like she didn't care.

"Yo, man, you here to race?"

Brian turned around to see a tall guy in jeans and a polo shirt behind him.

"Yeah."

The guy looked at him for some cash.

"How much?"

"Two grand," came the answer.

So, it hadn't changed after all this time. Dom was still gonna be one rich fuck when he got done racing.

He thumbed through his pockets and found the money. After giving it to the guy, he looked back at Dom and saw that Madison was no longer there. Neither was the guy who had been on the ground.

He looked around to see Dom looking in his direction and they made eye contact. Shit. He had been spotted. So much for shit not going down before the race. Too late for that.

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O'Connor. That name held a bitter taste in his mouth. Dom was already pissed that Madison was stupid enough to get involved in the conflict between he and Cameron, the last thing he needed was to have to deal with O'Connor.

Dom tapped Christian on the shoulder and nodded in Brian's direction. Christian shook his head in disgust. The balls that guy had, coming to town. What the hell was he expecting, for things to be cool between he and Dom? It wasn't going to happen.


	10. New Friends and Old Faces

**Chapter Ten**

The first racers were starting to line up when she got back. She saw Dom standing next to his car talking to Christian. Every time she saw him, he seemed to piss her off. Maybe he wasn't worth her time after all. If she didn't trust Jacob and Marcus's opinions, she would carry this shit out on her own. However, they were convinced that she wasn't prepared enough to be able to handle this by herself.

Dom could be a major ass and was usually. Or at least every time she saw him he was being an ass. She was starting to wonder how anyone could stand to put up with his shit. That's all it was. Everyone had to live with Dom's shit and not say a thing. That was fucked up. But then again, everything about Dom seemed to be fucked up, especially his life.

She walked over to her car, got in, and lined up with the others.

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Dom watched her and got more pissed every minute. She had a tendency to jump into shit that didn't involve her. He wondered what she was doing, thinking she was good enough to roll with them. She didn't know shit. Just because she had been able to keep up with him on the track didn't mean she could handle her own out here with the others. He knew she could, but he was pissed. If she was going to prove she could race, she would have to do some major impressing tonight.

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Brian watched Dom as he watched Madison. He was hoping that Dom wouldn't have spotted him, but it was too late for that now. At least Dom hadn't started any shit before the races. But Brian knew shit was going to go down after the race, between both he and Dom as well as between he and Madison. Once she found out he was here, she was going to be royally pissed. But that wasn't his concern right now. The road was. And getting his ten-second time back.

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She felt the power of her car underneath her hands and feet as she revved the engine. This was her moment. She loved the feel of adrenaline pulsing through her veins, the feel of power lying in her hands. This was what she lived for. Without racing, her life was meaningless.

She watched as the guy who had been signaling for them to get ready ran quickly off the road and they threw everything to the wind. The only thing on Madison's mind was beating Dom. She wasn't sure if she was capable, but she would try her hardest.

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Brian took off with amazing speed. He watched as Dom pulled out in front of everyone, knowing that was probably where he would stay.

He looked at his speedometer, which was continuously climbing. Up to 100, screaming past 120, hitting 140 and still climbing. He refused not to try his hardest to beat Dom.

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He saw O'Connor take off shortly after he did. That asshole. Thought he still had the skill to keep up with the master. The prick didn't know shit. And it would stay that way. Especially if Brian tried to get involved with Madison.

Madison, the chick who pushed all of Dom's buttons. The same chick that he was still very attracted to. If only she weren't so damn stubborn. That was the only drawback to her. She was too damn strong-willed.

He thought about why she was here in Boston. There was some reason, but he hadn't been able to put his finger on it yet. There was something familiar about the way she looked at him. That look of respect. That look of need. The look that she was up to something, like he had been two years ago.

Damnit, he thought, wondering if she was undercover. Maybe they thought they could catch him if he slipped and got involved with some other shit. So they sent Madison to make some shit up to trap him. Well, it wouldn't work. Dominic Toretto was too smart to fall for that shit.

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Madison was thinking about how she would approach Dom later. She had already pissed him off again. It seemed that she was only capable of doing that.

In the back of her mind, she heard Marcus's voice, telling her they needed Dom. God, they didn't really need him. She didn't need him. Not if he was going to continue being the asshole he was.

Focusing back on the task at hand, she turned the wheel ever so slightly to make the turn. She looked to her side to see she was even with Dom's car. He gave her a look and she had to smile. He was having problems too. His feelings for her were all jumbled. One moment he was attracted to her, the next he wanted to strangle her. It wasn't that she tried to make him feel this way, she just didn't put up with anyone's shit.

She looked in her rearview mirror to see Brian behind her. She hadn't known he was there. That asshole. If he could just stay out of her life, she'd be fine. The last thing she needed was him fucking everything up. If only…

Her thoughts were broken into by the squeal of tires and she watched as Dom's car began to pull away from hers.

"I don't think so…" she said to herself, pressing harder on the gas. She checked her speedometer. They were at 180 once again.

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He made the last turn and saw her catch up with him. Damn, she **was** good. So much for kicking her ass. It almost looked like she was gonna kick his.

"Don't think so. I've worked too damn hard to get where I am," he thought to himself. There was no way he was gonna let Madison beat him.

He pressed on the gas and watched as she fell behind. It was over and they both knew it. Dom had won the race once again.

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Brian watched in amazement as the final turn was incredibly close. Dom and Madison were nose to nose and keeping up their speed. He looked ahead and saw the other cars and racers waiting. He knew in an instant that Dom had done it again.

Seconds later, he pulled his car to a stop. Madison had already gotten out of hers, as had Dom. She has approached him, and they were talking.

Everyone laughed when they saw Brian. Dom and Madison turned to see what had gotten everyone so riled and he could see the anger in their eyes as they saw him.

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Madison saw him first. She was supremely pissed that he would show up here, of all places. She had finally gotten up the nerve to talk to Dom and now Brian's ass had to be here. Why couldn't he just leave them the fuck alone? He was always in someone's shit. However, it was his job. That didn't mean shit to her, though. With or without him being in Boston, she would do what she came to do.

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He approached Brian and sized him up. It had been two years since he had seen O'Connor and there was a lot of shit between the two of them still. Sure, O'Connor had let him go, but it was because he felt guilty. There was still the fact that he had destroyed any trust that Mia might've had in him.

"What the fuck are you doing here, O'Connor?"

Brian remained quiet. He wasn't sure what to say. He didn't want to piss Dom off anymore than he already was, but knew that was impossible.

"I asked you a question."

"Thought I'd come see and old friend."

Dom turned to go and laughed out loud before turning around and decking Brian in the jaw. Still sore from Madison's attack last night, he reeled from the impact.

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Christian watched Dom throw the first punch. In his mind, Dom had every right to react the way he did.

The next thing he knew Dom and Brian were in an all out fight. With Madison in the middle. Damn, the girl had guts. Getting in the middle of a fight between two tough guys like Brian and Dom. Even he wouldn't have done that.

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She stepped in the middle of them and shoved Dom away from Brian.

"Jesus Christ, Dom, stop it!" she yelled at him.

Dom stared at her with fire in his eyes.

"Get out of the way," he growled at her.

She stood there, not moving a muscle. He wasn't in the mood to deal with her shit right now.

"Dom, don't start shit here. Not now. He's not worth it."

Dom didn't care. Right now he was dealing with a bunch of shit from the past that needed to be taken care of.

"I said, get the fuck out of the way, Madison. Unless you want to get involved, get out of the way."

Still she refused to move. He walked up to her and tried to move her out of the way, but she decked him. Good. She hit him square in the mouth, causing him to bleed.

He was about to lay into her when Christian stepped in and grabbed his arm.

"Dom, stop. Don't do this shit, bro," he said, trying to lead Dom away.

Dom tried to side step him, but Christian refused to let him pass.

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Brian, afraid Dom would go off on Madison anyway, grabbed her by the arm and dragged her off, her fighting him the whole way. Once they had gotten out of Dom's earshot, he let her have it.

"What are you, fucking stupid? No one decks Toretto and gets away with it. Why the hell are you trying to start shit with him, Madison?" he seethed, not believing what she had just done.

"You know, Brian, you may not be my favorite person in the whole world, but I'll be damned if I let Dominic Toretto think that he can control anyone. I don't put up with this shit, and I don't know why you do."

She paused. She couldn't believe she had done what she had done either. It was one of her instinct moments. An instinct that could've gotten her killed.

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Dom tended to the cut on his lip. It had stopped bleeding but was still sore. Damn you, Madison, he thought in the back of his mind. Why the hell do you have to be so stubborn.

Everyone had left after seeing that there was going to be no fight. These people thrived on pain. It was why they played. They knew the risks but didn't care. All they wanted was the adrenaline rush they got every night.

Dom, Christian, and Kyra walked back to their cars and got in. Dom needed a beer. His mouth was dry and still held the taste of dried blood in it.

He left the two of them and headed for a bar. He was going to get drunk tonight. It wouldn't be the first time since Los Angeles.

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Christian knew what Dom had in mind, so he called Kyra to tell her where they were going. She calmly agreed that she would go back to the house, but didn't want to. Christian could hear it in her voice.

They pulled into the parking lot of Irene's pub and got out. Dom entered first as Christian parked his car. Shortly after, Christian walked in and sat on the stool next to him.

"Hey guys, what'll it be tonight? Your usual?" Irene asked.

Dom nodded and Irene raised an eyebrow, looking in Christian's direction. He shook his head at her unspoken question. They could both tell Dom didn't want to talk.

Irene placed a shot of tequila in front of Dom and offered Christian a Corona, which he accepted. It would be the only one he drank, but he didn't want to be rude.

He sat next to Dom, not saying anything, and watched as he tossed back the shot. If Dom needed time, Christian would give him time.

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Brain had talked Madison into letting him take her out for a drink. She had gone back to the apartment to take a shower and had agreed to meet him at a small restaurant.

She walked in, wearing a pair of blue jeans, a red V-neck shirt and her signature sunglasses on her head. Her damp hair was in a dozen curls, laying down her back. He had taken a shower also. She could tell because he had shaved and changed.

He stood as she approached the table and sat when she sat.

"You clean up nice," she commented, and he smiled.

The waiter came to take their order. She ordered a daiquiri and Brian ordered a Corona. They both ordered an appetizer and split it.

"So, what's your beef with Toretto?" Brian started.

"I told you. The asshole thinks he can control everyone. It pisses me off. That's my only problem. I mean, he's a great guy and all, but he's way too controlling," Madison explained.

"No," Brian started. "No. See, that's where you're wrong. Dom's **not** an asshole. He's just a complicated guy. There's a lot of shit he's been through, a lot of shit he's had to deal with over the years."

"Why are you defending him? By the way, what the hell were you thinking, coming to Boston?"

"There was a lot of shit left from Los Angeles that was never cleared up between the two of us…" he replied.

"…so you figured that since PD had found out he was here in Boston, that you'd come here, try to get back in good with him, then turn on him again? Bullshit, O'Connor. What are you really doing here?" Madison was pissed that Brian thought he could pull a fast one on her.

Brian had forgotten how well Madison seemed to be able to see right through him. He took a deep breath and began to try to explain. It was going to be a long night.


	11. The Aftermath

**Chapter Eleven**

Six shots of tequila and two beers later, Dom was feeling good. In fact, he didn't feel a thing. Christian sat next to him, nursing another beer. It was his third, but it usually took six or seven for him to catch a buzz.

Still nothing was said. Dom had been in his own little world, thinking. Christian had let him, knowing it was the only way Dom would calm down.

In the background, Hank Williams Jr.'s "Family Tradition" was playing. Some asshole country buff had picked it from the jukebox. It was a good drinking song, but that was about it.

Irene didn't have many customers, just the usual regulars that came in. Christian and Dom were the only two at the bar.

Christian looked over at Dom, whose expression hadn't changed. He wondered what Dom was thinking. Better to leave that one alone.

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Damn you, Madison, he thought. Even when he was pissed at her, he thought about her. There was just something about her that he couldn't shake. Something about the way she looked at him with contempt and respect all in one. Something about the fire in her personality that complimented everything about him.

Then there was the way he needed her. The way he wanted to hold her in his arms, to look into her eyes, to run his hands through her soft brown hair…

Damnit, he couldn't think that way. But it wasn't like he could stop. There was just something about the mysterious Madison Steele that captivated him. Then he realized he knew nothing about her. Nothing at all.

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She was listening to what Brian was saying at the beginning, but then her mind wandered to Dom.

Sometimes she wanted to knock the shit out of him, whereas other times she wanted to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him. She had never met someone who could make her hate and want him at the same time.

"You still there?" Brian asked.

She shook her head, returning back to the conversation.

"Yeah," she answered. "Tell me about Los Angeles."

"Well, that's a long story and a lot of history."

She criss-crossed her fingers, putting her hands together, propped her elbows up on the table and gave Brian her full attention.

"I've got plenty of time," she said, nonchalantly.

He looked at the serious expression on her face and leaned back in his chair. He cross his arms over his chest, took a deep breath, and began.

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Kyra was back at the house when the cell phone rang. Expecting it to be Christian or Dom, she answered it.

"Yeah."

"Toretto there?" It was a guy. He had a gruff voice, one that was very pronounced.

"Naw, man. He's out. There a message?" she answered.

"Just tell him V called," he replied, then hung up.

"V called," she repeated to herself, hitting the _clear_ button.

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Shit. He had hoped Dom would've been there. That must be the regular cell that was for the house. Dom must have his own private one. He dug through the papers that cluttered the table until he found Dom's emergency cell number. He committed it to memory. If he didn't hear from Dom by tomorrow night, he would call this number. But otherwise, there would be no need to use it.

He got up off the couch quickly and winced as pain shot through his left leg. Although it had been two years since he'd been shot, he still felt the pain if he got up too quickly or if he moved the wrong way.

It was 12 o'clock in the morning, but he wasn't tired. He walked to the fridge, opened it, took out a Corona and headed back to the couch. Sitting down, he turned on the TV to a Jackie Chan/Jet Li movie and popped the top on the beer. It was going to be a long night.

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Two hours and a margarita later, Madison and Brian left the restaurant. As they left, she looked around and noticed they were the last ones there.

Her mind was reeling from everything Brian had told her about Dom. She was slowly, but surely, beginning to understand why he did the things he did. Dominic Toretto was a complicated guy, that was a given. But now Madison had more insight into who he really was.

They said goodnight and went their separate ways. The whole way home, she was thinking about Dom. And Jesse. Dom must've felt like shit. Damn, the world was right: what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

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Christian was still nursing his beer when Dom looked over at him with glazed eyes. It was time to go. He pulled out his wallet, paid Irene, and helped Dom out the door.

Christian knew Dom was okay to drive, he had been fucked up a lot worse before. However, he chose to follow Dom just to make sure.

They pulled out of the parking lot and drove off, Dom in front. Ten minutes later, they pulled up into the driveway of the house. Dom got out of his car, still buzzing, but able to walk straight now.

Kyra came out of the house and shot Christian a look, to which he shook his head. He knew Kyra was pissed, but Dom didn't need to hear her shit right now.

He walked up the steps to the porch and walked right past her. She grabbed Christian's arm as he started to pass her and stopped him.

"He's alright, right?" she asked out of concern.

"Yeah. He just needs his space, that's all. That shit with Madison earlier tonight really tore him up. He just needs time," he replied, calming her fears.

They both walked into the house to see Dom heading upstairs.

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Not wanting to deal with Kyra's shit, he headed upstairs to his room. Once there, he headed for the bathroom. He needed a shower. He started the water, got it to the temperature he wanted, stripped, and got in.

Feeling the lukewarm water run over his face, he ran his hands over his head. Life was a bitch. Nothing ever seemed to go his way. He was done with Madison. She would have to make the next move for communication. He was tired of her shit. He didn't need that in his life.


	12. The Phone Call

**Chapter Twelve**

She saw him standing there, yelling at Brian. However, Brian refused to move.

Just when it seemed as if Dom was going to kill Brian, his focus changed. She watched, almost ghost-like, as Jesse pulled up in his car and began talking to Dom. There was no sound, but she could read his lips.

"Dominic, I'm so sorry," he was saying.

She couldn't hear the bikes, but she saw Dom and Brian's attention turn away from Jesse and look at the street.

She looked and saw two guys on motorcycles roar up to the house, pull two guns out, and start firing.

Brian ducked out of range of the bullets and Dom rushed to Jesse's side. By the time he made it to Jesse's side, he was on the ground.

She couldn't tell whether or not he was alive. The next thing she saw was a brunette girl running to Jesse's side. She held him in her arms as Dom shot Brian a "revenge" look.

The next thing Dom and Brian did scared the shit out of her. They both got in their cars and headed after the two on bikes.

Madison bolted upright in bed, shaking. She had been sweating so much that her satin sheets were sticking to her long, barren legs. She climbed out of bed and headed to the bathroom to splash some water on her face. That dream had been way too real for her. She could only imagine what must've been going through Dom and Brian's minds.

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He watched as Letty's car headed off the road after the asshole truck driver had hit the front wheel on her passenger's side, sending her out of control. She ended up flipping in the car and he wanted to get her out of there...now.

"Leon!" he yelled into the two-way pager/cell phones they all carried.

"Yo!" came the reply.

"Pull back for Letty! Get her out of there!"

"Alright! I've got her! Just get Vince off that truck!"

Leon had stopped and pulled back. Dom sped up to try to help Vince.

Vince. Hell, the boy had almost died because of him. His arm had gotten caught in the cord that connected him and the truck, allowing him to get inside. Then there was the gunshot wound to his left side, almost hitting his leg. Deep wound.

Dom remembered going to see Vince in the hospital. He looked like shit. Mia had looked at him with sad eyes. She had never looked at him like that before. Dom had felt like shit. He felt so bad that he had left town six months later and gone to Boston to get away from it all.

Later, he had sent Mia $20,000 to go to school. She was attending NYU and was close enough to him where, if something happened to her, he was right there. He constantly sent Mia money so she would be able to continue her education. It was all he could do after fucking her life up. After fucking up everyone's lives. Especially Jesse's.

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It was ten o'clock when she woke up. She had been able to sleep better after the dream was gone. Or maybe nightmare was the better word for what she had seen.

She got up, headed to the bathroom, splashed some water on her face, and started the water for her shower.

She walked back into her room, took out the clothes she would wear, laid them on her bed, took her hair down and brushed it out. It fell over her shoulders, nicely complimenting her face. Her father always said her face was her best feature.

"Daddy," she said aloud to herself.

But she couldn't think about that. She had to worry about why she was here. And because of that, she had to find Dom.

She stripped and stepped into the shower. It was going to be a long day and she had a lot to do.

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He woke to the smell of eggs and waffles. He crawled out of bed, holding his head. He had really done it last night. His head was throbbing.

He walked into the bathroom, opened the medicine cabinet, grabbed the Tylenol, popped four of them in his mouth, and took a swallow of water to chase them down.

Heading downstairs, he saw Kyra at the stove, cooking. Christian was sitting at the table, reading the paper. Dom walked to the fridge, opened it, and grabbed the orange juice. Usually he added a little vodka to it to wake himself, but Kyra was watching him.

He poured himself a glass, returned the OJ to the fridge, and sat down next to Christian. Thinking better of it, he got up, went to one of the cabinets, opened it and grabbed three plates. While he was at it, he got the silverware out too. It didn't seem fair to him for Kyra to do all the work.

"Dom, I didn't tell you last night because you headed upstairs before I got the chance...but V called last night. Told me to tell you just that," Kyra commented.

"V called?" Dom repeated to himself.

He hadn't spoken to Vince in over six months. And then he had told him only to call if something was up. Must be something serious.

Dom stepped out of the kitchen into the living room, picking up the cell phone from the counter on the way. He had Vince's number memorized. As he dialed it, he remembered why he had never saved the numbers in the cell memory. In the case of the Feds coming after his ass, he refused to give up information that would lead them to Vince, Leon, or Letty.

It was something they had all promised one another when Dom left. It caught, they wouldn't give up one another, no matter what kind of torture they were put through.

The ringing of the phone broke into his thoughts.

"C'mon, V, be there," he mumbled to himself.

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The chirp of his cell phone brought him to consciousness. He looked at the digital alarm clock next to the bed he slept in. It read 8 o'clock.

"Shit," he growled, frustrated. "It's too fucking early."

He scrambled for the phone, which refused to shut up. He pressed the button and answered it.

"What," he growled.

"Need me to call you back?" It was Dom.

"Naw, man. It's just 8 o'clock here. Went to bed somewhere around three. Where were you last night, man?"

"Got shitfaced," Dom answered truthfully.

"That rough a night? No race to calm your nerves?" Vince was more awake now.

"That was what fucked me up. There's this chick, Madison. She reminds me a lot of Letty, but could never replace her. Kyra told me you had called. What's goin' on?"

Vince thought a moment. Did he really want to bother Dom with this shit? But, then again, if he didn't, Feds might be all over his ass in a matter of days.

"Somone's snoopin' around here. I wouldn't be bothering you with this, bro, but I knew you'd want to know," VInce explained.

"Don't worry about it, Vince. I'm glad you called. Last time I talked to you, you were in Colorado. You still there?" Dom asked.

"Naw, I'm in Arizona now. Moved 'cause Feds were checking it out. Someone must've tipped them off," Vince added.

"Yeah, maybe. And if so, I know who it is. Pretty boy O'Connor decided he was gonna track my ass down and ended up in Boston. Probably him snooping around there too."

"Shit," Vince was pissed. "Dominic, I told you the prick was a cop. Fuck."

Vince was seriously pissed. Brian O'Connor, the asshole who had taken Mia's affection from him, was in Boston.

"Yeah, well, if it wasn't for the prick, you'd be dead right now," Dom retorted.

Vince got out of bed and headed to the kitchen. He banged around the cabinets, looking for a pan. Once he found one, he put it down on the stove and headed for the fridge.


	13. Second Chances

**Chapter Thirteen**

"How long has this shit been going on?" Dom asked curiously.

"I've been checkin it out for about two weeks now. Can't tell if it's Feds or if the locals were tipped off, but some shit's going on," Vince answered.

"Damn. You need to get out of there, bro. Leave all that shit behind. Did you change the plates on the car?"

That was another thing Dom had told them to do. The Feds had to have known they would split up after Los Angeles, so Dom made sure the plates were switched.

"Yeah. First thing I did when I got to Arizona. Nothing suspicious happened until this shit. I dunno, man, something's fucked up here. I don't like the feel of this," Vince commented.

"I hear ya. Look, we're in Boston and I might need your help with O'Connor. I think something else might be goin' down here too. Steele's lookin' to pull a job, but I haven't a clue when of what," Dom mentioned.

"Do you really want to get pulled back into this shit again, man? Especially after how fucked up it got in LA? What if she's just there to trap you?"

"I considered the possibility, but I trust her a little more..."Vince cut him off.

"After all the shit that happened with O'Connor, you trust this bitch? C'mon, Dom, you know better than this shit."

"Just get your ass to Boston. Call when you get here. You don't know where Leon and Letty are, do you?"

"Naw, I told 'em not to tell me. That way I don't know where anyone is. Just like we discussed."  
"Good. So I'll see you in a couple of days?"

"Aight. Lay low until then, just to be safe."

Dom had to smile. It was almost as if Vince was trying to reverse their roles. Ironically enough, though, he knew Vince was right.

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It was about 12 o'clock when she pulled into the parking lot of the shop to check out the cars. She knew eventually she would need another one.

That was when she saw him. He was wearing navy blue work pants and a black muscle shirt. He was bent over the engine of Christian's car, which she had recognized immediately.

He looked up at her and paused with what he was doing. What was it this time?

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So, she had found him. She had actually come to him. It was about damn time. They needed to talk.

She walked up to him, wearing blue camoflauge pants and a semi-sparkly tank that came right above her navel. She had fit abs, which only added to her allure. Her hair lay on her shoulders, which were incredibly tan. It lay in a bundle of curls, pushed back behind her ears. This time, however, she had her sunglasses on, not allowing him to see the emotion in her eyes.

"Car problems?" he asked casually.

She shook her head.

"Even if I did," she began, "I could fix it myself,"

He smiled. It never failed. Madison Steele would always be fiesty. Just like Letty. Shit, everytime he saw Madison, he was reminded more and more of Letty.

"So, why'd you come by? And don't give me this shit about the cars," he added.

"Actually, Dom, it **was** because of the cars. I didn't know you owned the shop. But since I'm here, there's something I need to talk to you about," she replied calmly.

"Now the truth comes out," Dom said, sarcastically.

She had hoped it would be easier than this. Of course, she was wrong a lot when it came to Dom.

"What are you **really** doing here, Madison?" he asked. "Wait, let me guess."

She tried to jump in, but he refused to let her.

"Let's see. Maybe it's about why you defended O'Connor last night. Or, or better yet, maybe this should be about decking me. What the hell was that shit about?" Dom was getting more and more pissed by just having Madison there.

"You know what, Dom? Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I shouldn't have come here. I'm out," she turned on her heel and began to walk away.

He ran his hand over his shaved head, hating her for what she was doing to him, yet loving her for the same reasons. She was pushing all of his buttons once again.

He headed after her and grabbed her hand before she could get into her car. He pulled her to him, her back against his chest. He could feel her heart beating against him.

She didn't move, but rather waited to see what Dom was going to do. When he did nothing, she slowly turned around to face him.

He held her arms in his hand for a few moments before she pulled away. He didn't go after her right away, but rather gave her a few moments to herself.

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She took a deep breath to regain her composure. It had felt so comfortable and safe to be in his arms. She had never felt that way in any other guy's arms. But then again, Dominic Toretto wasn't just any other guy. He was king of the road. And he knew it, as did everyone else.

He approached her again and rested his hand lightly on her shoulder. She stiffened, putting up a front to hide her feelings. When she turned around, he was still there.

"So," she began. "You have some free time?"

"How much do you need?" he questioned.

"About two or three hours," she replied.

"How does lunch sound?"

She paused. Lunch. It sounded like a date. Was he offering, or was he just giving her an opportunity?

'Cut this shit out', she thought to herself. 'It's just a guy.' But in the back of her mind, she was thinking, it's not **just** a guy, it's Dominic Toretto. Dominic Toretto who was six-two, 180 pounds, nicely built, and happened to be a racing god.

"You still there?" he laughed, waving a hand in front of her face.

She looked at him to see he had a big, goofy, retarded-looking grin on her face.

"Lunch sounds great," she answered.

"Perfect."

She watched as he walked over to a bench in the shop and picked up his red leather jacket. He had had it on last night too. It looked good on him.

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He walked over to his car and looked at her. She hadn't moved since he had gotten his jacket.

"Still coming?" he asked.

She looked at Christian and Kyra and saw they were watching her. She looked back at Dom, who had raised his eyebrows in a questioning look.

She walked over to his car and got in. As Kyra watched, she became more and more pissed. It seemed to her that every time Dom spent time with Madison, he always walked away pissed. She was tired of Madison pressing Dom's buttons.

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He took her to a nice restaurant about thirty minutes from the shop. When she walked in, she felt a little underdressed, then realized what Dom was wearing. She smiled to herself. She could only imagine what the other people thought.

The hostess brought them to a table, where they sat. It was off to the side, with a view of the street, so Dom could watch for Feds. Since Vince had tipped him off, he was a little more cautious.

A younger man walked up to them and took their drink orders. Madison noted that his nametag read "Kyle". Again, she smiled. It felt nice to be able to go out and enjoy herself.

Kyle disappeared to get their drinks and Madison looked out the window. Dom studied her face. He noted her high cheekbones, her concentrated eyes that held a twinkle, and made sure that he caught the smile that played at the corner of her lips.

After a few minutes, Kyle returned carrying a Corona and Madison's iced tea. Kyle placed the Corona in front of Dom, to which Madison raised her eyebrows.

"It's a little early to start drinking, isn't it?" she asked after Kyle had left.

"It's never too early," Dom explained and raised the bottle to her.

She shook her head and smiled. Dom was constantly surprising her.

"And, tell me, why do you guys only drink Corona? I thought Budweiser was the 'King of Beers'." she laughed.

She had a beautiful smile and an amazing laugh. She actually seemed more calm. It was nice to enjoy her company without them being pissed off at one another. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.


	14. A Little Insight

**Chapter Fourteen**

They knew when he left the apartment. They watched as he loaded up his car. Like he was going on a trip. They had been watching him for about a month, but he had just recently started to suspect something. They had waited a few weeks after he began to pick up on it to see what he would do.

Vince Martin was by no means a very smart man. But they weren't after him; they wanted Toretto.

He pulled out of the driveway in the blue Nissan Maxima he owned, on which he had changed the license plates. Probably a direct order from Toretto. Which meant he knew where Dominic Toretto was hiding out.

He was doing great until he saw the sirens pull up behind him.

"Shit!" he cursed. He didn't need this, not now. It was going to be a long day. Boston would have to wait.

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"So," Dom began, after taking another sip of his beer, which was now half empty. "What about you?"

"What do you mean, 'what about me'?" she asked, smiling.

"Tell me about yourself. And don't try to bullshit me. I don't want to know what your favorite color or TV show is, I want to get to know the real Madison Steele. What makes her tick and why she seems to hate me so much."

"Well," she replied, "that's a heavy question. But I'll do my best."

Dom sat back to listen. He was finally going to have his questions answered.

"Madison Steele. Wow, where do I begin?" she voiced aloud as she thought.

"Let's start with your history. You mentioned your mom died when she had you. So you were raised by your dad and older brothers. Whatever happened to them?" Dom helped her out.

"My dad's in jail for God only knows what. Some made up charges that the Colorado State Police had on him, or some shit like that.

"As for my brothers...Luke died when I was 13 in a drive-by. Some shit over territory between bikers or whatever," Madison continued.

She paused to take a sip of her icea tea. It was going to be a long lunch. She thought it might even take her longer to give him her proposition. Madison Steele was not a simple female by any means, and if Dom wanted to know about her past, she would tell him.

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They had taken Vince to the station in handcuffs. He was in the interrogation room when Detective Richard Jones walked in.

"Mr. Martin...so nice to see you here in good health. Now, we can make you a deal...we'll let you go on a misdemeanor and you give us Toretto, or we can book you and keep you overnight if you don't cooperate," Jones propositioned.

"Wow, Detective," Vince commented, sarcastically. "I'd love to be able to help you out, but I don't have a clue as to where Dominic Toretto is. But I do know this...you owe me a telephone call and while you're at it, you can go to hell."

Jones sat back in his seat across from Vince. He had expected this kind of behavior. Once loyal, always loyal. Same thing had happened to O'Connor. The kid was too personally involved.

"Alright, Martin. I'll give you your phone call. But, because of your refusal to cooperate, we're going to have to book you and keep you overnight," he said rising and walking to the door.

"This is bullshit! You've got nothin' on me!" Vince retorted, as Jones walked out of the room.

Looking at the nearest officer, he said

"Get this asshole his phone call. Then give him a solitary cell. We're keeping him overnight," and walked to his office, closing the door behind him.

Turning to Tanner, he shook his head.

"Martin isn't giving us shit. We can't hold him here forever, Sarge."

"Yeah, I know," Tanner replied. Dominic Toretto was as elusive as ever. But sooner or later he would slip up, and when he did, Tanner would be right there, waiting for him.

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"Well, my brother Jacob and I are the only two still free. Plus we're really close."

"So how come I haven't seen him around the city?" Dom questioned.

"Well, that would be because he's not here in Boston. He's in Chicago," she answered, knowing what question came next. Still, she let him ask anyway.

"So, what are you doing here in Boston?"

"Came to find you. There's something about you, Dominic Toretto, that interests my brother very much. He seems to think you can help him pull off a deal. And he sent me to find you," Madison explained.

"Well, Ms. Steele," Dom objected. "You wouldn't have a problem if I asked you a question, would you?"

"Not at all," she smiled. Inside, she was laughing.

"You wouldn't happen to be setting me up to trap me, would you?" Dom tried to keep his composure because he was in public. Had they not been, he would've had a gun to her head and her back against a wall.

"What the hell are you talking about, Dom? I'm giving you the opportunity of a lifetime and you're asking me if it's a setup? What the fuck?"

"Madison, I've been through enough shit in the past three years to know when something fishy is goin on. No offense, but last time I did this shit, it was a setup. So I'm sorry if I seem a little wary."

She was about to jump in to defend herself, but Dom cut her off.

"Then there's that shit with you defending O'Connor. What's up with that?"

"Look, I can explain that," she started.

Dom leaned back in his chair again. Here came the bullshit.

"This should be good," he commented gruffly.

She rolled her eyes in a "whatever" sense, took another sip of her iced tea, and continued.

"Six months ago, Spilner...excuse me, O'Connor, saved my ass. There was some shit that happened between Jacob and his rival, Jose' Santiago. To make a long story short, Jose' had me kidnapped to get something out of Jacob. To this day, I still don't know what.

"Anyway, in the process of the exchange between Jacob and Jose', Jose's younger brother, Carlos, got killed. I almost died too, but Brian had shot and killed my captor. Meanwhile, Marcus held Jose' at gunpoint while Jacob got me to safety. So, in a way, I guess you could say I owe him my life," Madison finished.

"Madison, you don't owe the pretty boy cop shit. Let me put it this way, he finds out why you're in Boston and you're toast."

"Well, I don't exactly plan on coming out and telling him my reasons for being here. That would be like putting a gun to my head and pulling the trigger myself. I'd be fucking my own self over."

By this time, their food had arrived. Dom had ordered steak and fries, while Madison had just gotten a salad. It was no wonder she was so skinny.

As soon as he was about to cut his steak, his cell phone rang.

"Excuse me," he apologized to Madison.

"No problem," she replied.

"Yeah," she answered.

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"Major prob in the desert. Vultures are all over the dead. Coming after the eagle next. Leave the nest," was all he said.

They spoke in code so no one would know who they were talking to, therefore being unable to pin anything on them.

"Come on, punk," a bulky officer grabbed Vince by the arm and led him to a solitary cell. He opened it with the keys attached to his belt and shoved Vince into it, locking it behind him.

"This is bullshit, man. You've got nothin' on me!" he yelled after the officer.

Fuck, It was a good thing he had memorized Dom's private cell phone last night. He hoped Dom had understood the message and was gone before O'Connor turned him in. That would piss Toretto off even more.

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Dom hung up the phone and Madison could tell he was pissed.

"Fuck," was the first thing that came out of his mouth.

"What?" she questioned.

It must've been important, because Dom didn't answer her. Instead, he looked out the window, muttering under his breath.

"Dom, what was that about?" she asked again.

All he could think about was what Vince had said. In short, it could be interpreted as "We've got problems here. Cops all over my ass. Coming after you next. Get the hell outta there."

"Damnit," he cursed.

Knowing he needed a few moments, Madison waited until Dom regained his composure. Things had just been fucked up and she wanted to know how to straighten them out.


	15. The Flight

**Chapter Fifteen**

"We can't keep him here much longer, Sarge," Jones had said.

Tanner knew they had nothing on Martin. At least not enough to keep him overnight. Damn, they were so close to Toretto, yet so far.

He walked back to the cell where they held Vince.

"Alright, Martin, you're free to go," he said, pulling out his keys and unlocking the cell door.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Vince replied, shoving his way past Tanner.

"If you see Toretto," Tanner began.

"Go to hell," Vince commented, walking into the lobby.

Tanner followed him, only to catch a glimpse of him walking out the door.

"Back to square one," he sighed, walking into his office and shutting the door.

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Vince took a cab to where his car had been left, paid the cabbie, and got in his car. He had to get to Boston to warn Dom. He had to find Dom before they did.

Back at the restaurant, Dom was paying the bill and having them box up the food while Madison was still in the dark.

"Dom, will you tell me what the hell is going on?" Madison was getting frustrated.

"There's no time. We've gotta get out of here, now," he looked up at her with a tight-lipped look on his face.

Choosing not to piss him off anymore, she said nothing else, but followed him out. They got in his car and drove off.

He pulled out his cell phone from his jacket pocket, quickly dialed a number, and put the phone to his ear.

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Christian's cell rang and he stared at it. Kyra was still with him and the only other person that knew the number was Dom. And the only time he called was if something was up.

He grabbed the cell and answered it.

"What's up, Dom?"

"Christian, get the hell outta there. Meet me at the safe house. Bring Kyra with you. I'm taking Madison there. Some shit's goin' on and I have a tip that says we should keep a heads up," was the reply. Then the line went dead.

"Hey, Ky," he called.

She popped her head out from underneath her car. She had been installing some lights under the chassis of her car that would emit a glow when she raced. She liked adding new things to her car.

"What's up?" she asked innocently.

"We need to get going. Dom's given us a heads up. Says he's got a tip. We're going to the safe house."

"Fuck. What kind of shit's going on?"

"He didn't say. Just says we should leave the nest," Christian answered.

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They drove about thirty minutes before stopping.

"I gotta take a piss. You want anything to drink?" Dom asked.

"Yeah, a daiquiri would be nice," she replied.

Dom nodded and headed for the entrance.

"Oh, and Dom?" she called after him.

He turned around to look at her, hand on the door.

"Thanks for that lovely piece of information," she smiled at him.

He shook his head at her and entered the mini-store. He was starting to enjoy her company.

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He hauled ass down the interstate.He took his eyes off the road long enough to grab his cell phone from the passenger's seat. He dialed the first number for Dom that popped into his head. He put it to his ear and listened as it rang. He hoped to God that someone answered.

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She heard the beep of the cell phone and dug in her pocket until she found it. She looked at the caller ID feature that Dom had gotten and read the number: 970-555-2571. She didn't recognize it.

"Yeah," she answered.

Vince heard the same female voice he had heard when he had tried to reach Dom the first time.

"Yo, is Dom there?" he asked.

"Sorry, man. He's out somewhere. This V?" came the reply.

She had a very pleasant phone voice. He was looking forward to meeting her when he got to Boston.

"Yeah," he answered.

"You were the tip, weren't you?" she questioned.

"Dom obviously called you," Vince commented.

"Who are you, anyway?" Kyra was very curious. Whoever this guy was, he must be very close to Dom. Especially if after this guy's phone call Dom had told them to leave.

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They were on the road again, but pulled off the interstate twenty minutes after and got onto a small background.

"So you never finished telling me exactly what you were doing in Boston," Dom commented.

"I told you, my brother seems to think you can help me out pulling off a job," Madison answered.

Dom pulled off the road and parked the car. He turned to her a little, looked her in the eyes, and took in her facial expression. It didn't waver. Just like Spilner's...wait, O'Connor's...hadn't when asked if he was a cop.

"I want a straight answer, right here, right now. Because I'm only gonna ask you once. Are you, or aren't you, Madison Steele, a cop? And don't bullshit me on this," Dom said, neither his voice nor his own facial expression wavering.

She had been facing him before, but now she faced the front and sat back in her seat, pissed that he felt he had to ask.

"I want an answer, Steele," he was getting pissed.

"What do you want me to tell you, Dom? Do you want me to say, yes, I am a cop? Well, Toretto, I hate to burst your bubble, but I'm no cop," Madison said, still facing forward.

He touched her lightly on the arm and she pulled away.

"Look me in the eye and say it," he replied.

"What? Once wasn't enough?" When she looked at him, he could see the fire in her eyes once again.

When he said nothing, she sighed, then faced him, looked into his eyes, and took a deep breath.

"Dom, whether or not you believe me is up to you, but I swear to you, I am not a cop."

He held her gaze for a moment before she let her eyes wander. He rested his hand on hers and she didn't pull away.

"Madison," he began and didn't say anything else until she looked at him.

"You do understand why I had to ask, don't you? It's for my safety as well as for the safety of Christian and Kyra. I can't have the same thing that happened with Sp...O'Connor, happen with you."

She nodded. She truly did understand. She had put herself in Dom's position and knew she would've wanted to know also. It was only fair.

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Christian was in his car, listening to the radio, wondering who Dom's "tip" was.

He looked in his rearview mirror to make sure Kyra was still behind him. She was.

On the radio, he could hear Journey's "I'll Be Watching You". He sang along until he came upon the mini-store/gas station he and Dom usually stopped at. Not seeing Dom's car there, he figured Dom was further up ahead. At least he hoped so.

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Brian's cell rang somewhere around four in the afternoon. He wanted to ignore it, but it refused to let him.

"Yeah," he answered, just like always.

"Any progress? Run into Steele again?" It was Tanner. If he was going to keep calling, Brian was going to have problems.

"Pulled Vince Martin in for questioning today," Tanner commented.

"Oh, really?" Brian tried to sound surprised.

"Trying to figure out where Toretto is. Have you run into him in Boston?"

Before Brian could think, he had already answered.

"No," he lied.

After hearing what he had said, he comprehended it. Well, he couldn't take it back now. They would question his loyalties.

"What about Steele? She pullin' any jobs in Boston, yet?"

"No. Boston's quieter than it's ever been, Sarge. Honestly, I don't think Steele's gonna pull anything. I don't know why she's our focus. We should be going after her brother, Jacob," Brian offered.

"Well, O'Connor, if you want to ignore direct orders, be my guest. No one knows where Jacob Steele is anyway. Just watch Madison, aight? Call me if there's anything to report."

The phone line went dead and Brian cleared his phone. It seemed to him that every time he got a call from his boss it pissed him off.

He grabbed his jacket and keys and headed out the door. He needed to take a drive.

In the back of his mind, Tanner's words kept playing like a broken record, "call me if there's anything to report".

"Don't be expecting a phone call, Sarge. There'll be nothing to report anytime soon," he mumbled under his breath.


	16. The Safe House

**Chapter Sixteen**

They were the first ones to arrive at the safe house. Dom figured they would be because they had had a head start on Christian and Kyra.

As he pulled his car into the driveway and to the back of the house, so no one could see it, Madison hit the armrest with her fist.

"Shit," she cursed.

"What?" Dom questioned.

"My car," she mentioned.

"Yeah, what about it?"  
"It's in front of the shop. If PD does show up, they'll see it. Then we're **all** screwed.," Madison continued.

"Fuck," Dom agreed. Then he thought about it. He would have to go back to town tomorrow anyway, to get a few things from the house.

"So, what are we gonna do?" Madison asked.

"Tomorrow, when I head back to Boston to pick up some stuff from the house, we can swing by the shop and get your car. That sound okay?"

"Whatever works. I'm workin' on your schedule now," Madison commented passively.

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Christian saw Dom's car parked behind the house as he pulled into the driveway. He was obviously trying to cover all the bases, making sure he was not easily found. He pulled up behind Dom's car with Kyra behind him. Dom and Madison were standing by Dom's car, talking. He wondered how lunch had gone. Well, Madison was still alive. That must be an indication of something good.

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Kyra saw the two of them standing by Dom's car. It pissed her off for a few moments, but then she got over it. For the first time in a long time, it looked like Dom was enjoying himself. Although she was upset that it was Madison and not her making Dom's life easier, she was happy for him.

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He had seen Christian and Kyra pull up and waited as they each got out of their cars. They both walked up to Dom and Madison.

Christian nodded his greeting to Madison before turning to Dom.

"So, what's going on? What's the news?" he asked.

"Vince called," Dom began. Christian knew Vince from when he had stopped by to see Dom in LA, but didn't know him well. Kyra guessed that it was Vince who had been calling, going by "V". Maybe it was a nickname Dom had given him.

"Shit," Christian commented.

"Yeah," Dom agreed. "He called giving me the coded version of cops were all over his ass and we should get the hell up out of wherever we were in case they came after us, too."

"Damn. They really want your ass, don't they," Madison said.

All three of them looked at her.

"Yeah, and your being here complicates everything," Kyra added.

Madison was about to say something, but Christian jumped in.

"So what now? Damn, Dom, if they check out the shop...Madison's car's still there. What the hell do we do about that?"

"When we all go back to Boston tomorrow to get whatever we're bringing here, including Madison, I'm going to bring her by the shop to get her car," Dom explained.

"And what if the cops have the shop staked out?" Kyra asked.

"Boston PD is intelligent, but they don't know for sure Toretto's here. All they have is a supposed 'tip' which may or may not be valid," Madison offered.

"Yeah, but if that 'tip' was Brian, they'll follow everything he said to the letter," Dom growled.

Everyone else was quiet. Madison wanted to jump in, but the look in Christian's eyes stopped her.

Dom walked around to the front of the house to see if anyone had followed them. After making sure that no one had, he checked the mail. He stopped by every week just to check it. He had all the mail sent there under Christian's name so no one would suspect anything. So far it had worked.

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Kyra watched Dom walk down the alleyway that led to the front of the house. He was seriously pissed, she knew that for a fact.

She shot Madison a look, then searched her facial expression. They had never had problems before, not until Madison came to town.

Madison was not easy to read. Her face held no particular expression, therefore providing Kyra with no information.

A few minutes later, Dom returned. He shot her a glance and she lowered her eyelids and nodded in Madison's direction. She knew Dom would know what she meant.

He caught Kyra's expression and shook his head in answer to her unspoken question. Then he let his eyes wander to Christian, who met his glance. Dom knew from the expression in his eyes that he had seen the look Kyra had flashed Madison. Which may have meant that he saw Dom's response to Kyra's question.

In the midst of all this, Madison seemed oblivious. Dom figured it was best that way, since she wouldn't have reason to start shit with Kyra. It was better that they didn't.

Madison was thinking hard about whether or not Brian would've tipped the Feds off. After having those drinks with him last night, she wasn't so sure.

"So, what are we doing for dinner?" Christian's voice broke into her thoughts.

"Shit," Dom hadn't thought about food. He looked at the watch he rarely wore and saw that it was five-thirty.

"Why don't Christian and I go into town and get some chicken or steaks or something?" Kyra suggested.

"No," Dom shook his head. If they were going back to Boston, all four of them were going.

"Look, Dom, we'll go there, get some grub, then come right back. There are 11,000 people in Boston. They don't even know for sure that you're here," Christian tried.

"That's not why I said no," Dom began to explain. "If you're going to Boston with Kyra, we're all going. We'll go to the house and get whatever shit we need, pick up some grub and something to drink, then we'll come back together."

Kyra began to object, but Dom cut her off.

"No discussions," he said pointedly.

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Vince took a pit stop to use the restroom and to buy some beer, ice and a cooler, when his cell rang.

"Yeah," his gruff voice came out.

"V...I'm worried about Dom. Have you heard from him lately?" It was Mia.

"Hey beautiful. Yeah, I've heard from him. In fact I'm on my way to him now. Why, what's up?" she sounded worried.

"I don't know, Vince...I'm just so worried something's gonna get fucked up and he's going to be caught in the middle," she explained.

"Another one of your so-called 'premonitions', huh?" Vince laughed. Mia often let her imagination run wild when it came to Dom, but she was usually tripping over nothing.

"It's not funny, Vince. I'm being serious. Just talk to him for me, okay?"

"Aight," he agreed.

"Thanks. Sorry to run so quickly, but I gotta go. I'm meeting some friends for coffee and I'm late," Mia said quickly.

"K," Vince commented. He didn't know what else to say. It wasn't like he could stop her.

"Have fun," he added, then hung up the phone.

He grabbed a six-pack of Corona, a single bag of ice and a mini-cooler, and headed for the cashier.

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She saw it in slow motion as if it were yesterday. She could feel every emotion, fear and relief, as if it were happening all over again.

She could feel the butt of the gun pressing against her temple, the breath of her captor, unknown to her, on the nape of her neck. Across the room, she could see Carlos and Jose' Santiago holding guns to her brother and Marcus.

Again, there was no sound, but every word was imprinted in her mind like a horror movie.

"Let her go, Santiago. It's not her that you want, it's me," Jacob had said.

Jose' threw his head back and laughed.

"You don't get it, do you Steele?" he had replied. "You see, I have something you want, something that's important to you. So you aren't in control here."

"I said, let her go," Jacob had gotten pissed.

He had begun to reach for his gun, but Jose' had stopped him.

"I don't think so. One more move and your sweet little sister dies."

"Go to hell, Santiago," Jacob had retorted, reaching yet again for his gun.

Before Santiago could give the order to shoot her, a gunshot rang out. She felt her legs give out on her and as she fell to the floor, she felt two strong arms catch her. She regained her composure and saw it was Brian.

Jose' and Carlos stood where they were for a few moments in shock. In the blink of an eye, Carlos raised his gun at her and was about to fire when he seemed to lose his balance. It took her seeing the pool of blood forming around his head before she realized he had been shot.

In one swift move, Jose' turned to Jacob who was rushing to her side and raised his gun. Before he could fire, Marcus had come up behind him and tackled him to the floor, struggled to get the gun from Santiago, and held him at gunpoint.

Jacob had rushed to her side to make sure she was okay. He and Brian got her to Brian's car and sent them off.

"Thanks for everything," Jacob had said before heading back in the warehouse.

"Jacob!" she called after him, but he ignored her.

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"You okay over there? You're awfully quiet for someone who seems to have a lot to say," Dom commented, jokingly.

"Huh? Oh no, I'm good. Just thinking," Madison replied.

"About what? Is it safe to ask?" he questioned.

"What? Oh, I'm sorry."

"Damn, you **are** preoccupied. Wanna talk about it?"

"Just flashbacks, that's all," she said, but offered no more.

"Remembering's a bitch, ain't it?" Dom offered.

She looked at him with an understanding glance.

"I'm sorry about Jesse," she didn't mean for it to come out, she just couldn't stop it.

He almost drove off the road.

"What the hell do you know about Jesse? Who have you been talking to? And just who the hell do you think you are?"

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"I don't like the feel of this, Christian," Kyra began. "There's just something about Madison that don't feel right."

Christian knew what Kyra meant. There was just something about Madison Steele that seemed off. He couldn't exactly put a finger on it, but there was something about her that was bugging him. He just hoped Dom was smart enough to cover his ass as well as theirs and check into Madison.

"She's a cop, man. I'm tellin' ya, I got this feelin. It's been nagging me since I met her," Kyra continued.

"No, Ky, I think you were jealous 'cause Dom was attracted to her," Christian joked.

That just pissed Kyra off even more. Sure, maybe there was some truth to what Christian had said, even if she refused to admit it.

"No comment? Should I go on record with that statement?" he continued his teasing.

She playfully punched him in the arm and he made a face, pretending it hurt.

"Don't worry about Madison, Ky. No one can take your place in Dom's life. You're like a sister to him," Christian assured her.

'But that's just it...he **only** sees me as a sister', she thought, but said nothing aloud. If only there were some way to change that. If only...

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"I asked you a question. Who the fuck have you been talking to?" Dom was pissed, she could tell from the tone in his voice.

"I had a few drinks with O'Connor last night, no big deal. I asked him about the shit that happened in Los Angeles and he told me," Madison answered.

"You had no right, Steele. No fucking right. All that shit had nothing to fucking do with you. You should've left it alone. What the hell were you doing with Brian anyway?" Dom retorted.

"Sorry. Damn. Had I known you were so touchy about the subject, I would've left it alone. I figured it might give me some insight into who you were. Shit, it wasn't like I held a gun to his head and forced him to tell me," Madison tried to cover her ass.

"You were way out of line. It didn't fucking concern you at all," Dom was quieter now, but he was still seething.


	17. Back Again?

**Disclaimer: I want to state that I in no way condone drinking and driving but rather wrote it to fit the character.**

**Chapter Seventeen**

Vince had reached the state line and was careful to make sure no one was following him, especially the Feds. The last thing he needed was for him to end up leading them to Dom.

He had an open Corona in his right hand with his left on the wheel. He took a long swig of it, then turned on the radio. Some old-school hip-hop shit was on. He changed it to an alternative station and turned it up.

Wondering what Leon and Letty were doing and wondering where they were was a bitch. At least he knew where Mia was and knew Dom was close to her. The shitty part about it was thatO'Connorwas in Boston too. He swore to himself if he ran into the prick, he was gonna kick his ass.

Brian had pissed him off from day one, tryin to get with Mia. They had fought and never reached an understanding after. The only good thing O'Connor had done for Vince was save his life.

His mind wandered to the female voice that had been on the other end of the phone. He wondered what she looked like. She sounded cute, but then some people can do that.

What he needed to focus on right now was getting to Boston and making sure Dom was good. If he found out Brian was tipping the Feds off, he would kick his ass.

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It was six o'clock now and Brian continued to drive, no destination in mind. He drove past Toretto's shop and saw Madison's car there. He pulled up by it and saw it was unoccupied. He looked at the shop and immediately recognized Toretto's style.

He smelled oil and antifreeze as well as sweat in the air. He could tell it hadn't been long since they had left.

Wishing he knew Madison's cell number, he headed back to the car. It was obvious no one was around.

He was just about to get in his black Nissan Skyline when he heard another car roar around the corner. Before he could get a good look at it, it pulled to a stop in front of him.

He watched as Dom and Madison got out.

Dom shot him a look of pure hatred. Madison said nothing. She had already pissed him off enough. She felt it would be best to stay out of this one.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Spilner? Or should I say O'Connor?" Dom seethed.

Brian said nothing, but blankly stared into Dom's fiery eyes.

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Brian's silence just pissed him off more. To Dom, this prick was a cop. And the last thing he needed to deal with was a cop.

"I asked you a question," Dom growled.

"Saw Madison's car here. Figured I'd stop by. Look, man, I was just leaving..." Brian started to explain, but was cut short.

"You were just leaving my ass, punk," Dom retorted.

He started to go after Brian, but Madison grabbed his arm. He shook her off and she knew there was no stopping him. She just hoped Christian and Kyra got there soon.

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He wasn't sure who had started the fight, but when he pulled up, he saw Dom and Brian beating the shit out of one another. Correction. Dom was beating the **fuck** out of Brian.

"Ky, stay in the car," he ordered.

"Fuck that," she responded, and began to open the door.

"No, Kyra, trust me on this. Don't get involved. And do me a favor," he paused, and she looked at him. "Don't start any shit with Madison, aight?"

She seemed pissed, but consented anyway.

"Aight," she sighed.

He got out of the car and headed over to Brian and Dom. If he didn't stop Dom, Brian would need some serious help.

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He hadn't meant to piss Dom off. It had all happened so fast. After his response, Dom had become pissed. He had seen Madison grab Dom's arm to stop him, but Dom looked as if he was ready to snap Brian in two pieces.

Dom had thrown the first punch. It had hit Brian in the stomach and Brian keeled over. That was it. Dom laid into him, swinging right and left.

Brian got in a few good punches, mostly to Dom's eyes and jaw and about two to his stomach.

He could feel the blood trickling down his eye and knew he had been cut. He tasted the bitterness of blood in his mouth after reeling from a blow to his jaw. He couldn't take too much more of this.

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Brian wouldn't have to. Christian jumped in and pulled Dom off of Brian. Dom let up at first, then pushed his way in front of Christian and started back in on Brian.

Christian rushed back in and grabbed both of Dom's arms and dragged him away, fighting the whole time.

Brian rolled over and used his arms to get him up. He spit out the blood from his mouth and looked at Dom. Christian was calming him down and making sure he didn't try to get to Brian again.

Madison had walked over to Brian and helped him up.

"How are you?" she asked, brushing off the dirt from his shirt.

"How the fuck do you think I am," he retorted. "You know, I don't have to deal with your shit!" he yelled to Dom.

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She was out of the car now and had walked over to Christian and Dom. Christian shot her a look and shook his head, but she ignored him.

She touched Dom on the shoulder and he quickly turned around, expecting someone else. When he saw it was Kyra, he just stared at her.

She had something in her hand and offered it to him. He gratefully took it and put it over his left eye. When he took it away, she could see a nasty gash where the rag had been.

"Thanks," Dom muttered through clenched teeth. His jaw hurt like a bitch. Brian had decked him a couple of times really good.

He looked past Christian and saw Madison helping Brian to her car. He shook his head and discovered that his neck felt like shit too.

"Madison, get your ass back here! Leave that punk ass prick alone!" he yelled, even though his jaw was killing him.

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She spun around on her heel when she heard what Dom had to say.

"What did you say to me?" she questioned.

"You heard me," his voice was lower and his teeth were clenched.

"No, Dom, I'm not sure I did," she retorted.

"I told you to get over here and leave that asshole alone," Dom repeated, nodding in Brian's direction.

"What did you say? You **told** me to do something? Go to hell, Dom."

"Madison!" he yelled again.

She left Brian standing where he was, turned on her heel and walked right back to Dom.

"Do me a favor, will ya, Dom? Grow the fuck up! My God," she continued, shaking her head, "I actually thought things were going good. Guess I was wrong, as always."

That was all she said before turning around and heading back to her car.

Dom stared after her as she walked back to Brian, helped him get into her car, got in herself, and drove off.

Kyra placed a hand on Dom's shoulder to comfort him.

"You don't need her, man," she commented.

He shrugged her off, walked into the shop to an empty bench and threw it. He was pissed. And he had no one to blame but himself.

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Thirty minutes later, she was back at her apartment. She had taken Brian back to his place, cleaned him up, and made sure he was okay before leaving.

Dominic Toretto had pissed her off yet again. No matter how attractive he was, he still always managed to piss her off.

Yet, she always seemed to want to see him again. Which was why she was packing right now.

She grabbed about ten outfits out of her closet, and put them in her suitcase. She went into the bathroom and grabbed her brush, comb, toothbrush and toothpaste and threw them all in her carrying case. She went into her bedroom and grabbed whatever makeup she was going to bring and tossed them into her carrying case as well.

Her packing was done twenty minutes after that. She brought her suitcase and carrying case to her car. After loading them, she headed back to her apartment.

She picked up her cellphone and called her brother. She needed someone to calm her down and talk some sense into her so she wouldn't want to strangle Dom when she saw him.

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He heard the cell ring from the kitchen, where he was fixing dinner for Marcus, Samantha, Savannah and himself. Marcus took over the stove, allowing Jacob to get the phone.

"Hello," he answered.

"Hey, bro, what's going on?"

"Hey, Maddie. Not much. How's the Toretto situation?" he was curious as to how soon he could get the ball rollin.

She laughed.

"Speaking of that, what kind of terms are you on with Toretto?"

There was silence on her end of the line.

"Maddie? Still there?" he was getting worried.

She must've heard it in his voice, because she answered.

"Yeah, I'm still here."

"So?" his curiosity was peaked.

"Funny you should mention that," Madison responded.

"Why is that? You haven't pushed his buttons again, have you?" Jacob hoped not. If she kept this up, Toretto would never help them out.

"Let's just say that we've both pushed each other's buttons quite a lot since I came here," Madison explained.

"Damnit, Madison. Why can't you be civil to people for once? I told you, we need him on this," he was getting frustrated with Madison.

"Jacob, I can pull this job off on my own. Shit, for crying out loud, I'm your sister. It's not like I don't know what the fuck I'm doing. You wouldn't have sent me here if I didn't," Madison reminded her brother.

"Bullshit! Toretto's done this shit before...he knows what to expect," he retorted.

"Yeah, well, Toretto's got his own problems going on right now," Madison commented.

"My little sister wouldn't, by any chance, have anything to do with those problems, now would you?"

"Rest assured, brother dearest. Dominic Toretto has bigger problems than having to deal with Jacob Steele's little sister. He's got the Feds lookin for him after all the shit that happened in LA," Madison explained.

"Fuck. Do you know where he is and how long he'll be there?"

"I do know **where** he is, but I don't know how long he'll be there," Madison answered.

"Fuck," he cursed.

"Nice mouth," she laughed.

"Sorry," he apologized.

"Don't be," she commented.

"So, what else if going on?"

"Not much here. How's things with Marcus?"

Jacob debated whether or not he should tell her that he thought Marcus might be a cop. He chose not to. It would only piss her off. He didn't want to do that to her.

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"Final call for Flight 18, from Phoenix to Washington, D.C.," he heard over the airport intercoms.

Sergeant Tim Tanner looked at the plane ticket in his hand. They had come to Phoenix because they knew Vince Martin was there and they hoped he would lead them to Toretto.

"Should've know Martin's loyalties were deeper than that, Tanner," he mumbled to himself, and walked to the gate. It was going to be a long flight. He just hoped his superiors wouldn't bitch at him when he got to the office.


End file.
